Cadence makes it a bit more than 'basic' IMO. You need a second sensor, extra wiring if wired unit, extra battery to keep fresh if wireless.

I had a Vetta unit for a long time. Just basic functions, something like this one (probably the updated model). Speed, distance (2 measures), max speed, average speed, time, clock.... no cadence. One very good feature about it was that it was tricky to remove from the handlebar bracket - most people could not work it out - great for theft protection, I never removed it when I locked the bike.

Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.

From my experience just buy yourself a Cateye micro wireless. Cateye is easily the most reliable brand. The battery seems to last forever as we'll. wires are a pain and always seem to break for me.

You don't need a cadence sensor etc. All that stuff is available for Garmins or mobile phones were the info will be downloadable and easily analyzed. All I use my Cateye computer for is checking my speed and the time.

singlespeedscott wrote:Should of ponied up the extra $10. The wires are a pain in the long run.

By the same token... I have Sigma 1609 computers on my bikes. Some Wired and the others with wireless versions. The wireless are asking for more batteries... and I ride those bikes less than I ride the wired (road) bike.

brucester22 wrote:I figured whats one more wire when you already have the brake and gear cables running the same paths.

Wireless has a handful of good reviews, most are negative.

I like to keep things simple and low tek

My old wireless unit didn't like my new light, the signal was getting interfered with. Wired will never let you down that way, and one less battery to worry about! I had a wired Sigma (9701 or something like that) and it never missed a beat even in the pouring rain.

Rd200 from cateye gets cadence into picture real cheap. If you want your bike to look pretty, you could have spent extra for internal cables and carbon frame. Oh wait, it's external wires and Alu frame? Get the damn cateye with wires. You will appreciate the garmin later. Or just use a phone with strava

The only problem I had with the wired cateye, was that when it rained, the water corroded the contact points enough to disrupt the signal. Easy to fix, just wipe the contact points. It took a day to figure out, after adjusting all the magnets and realigning the detectors. Apart from that it is a good unit.